Cutting and shaving blade attachment for surgeons&#39;forceps



y w. L. NICHOLLS 1,968,160

CUTTING AND SHAVING BLADE ATTACHMENT FOR SURGEONS FORCEPS Filed Dec, 2, 1931 INVENTOR W. L. jump/1.5

ATTORNEYS 101". 111 operating position 1n practically all hemostatic forceps are similar, I

29: equipment. By

130i vided with three elements to interlock with the its teeth will pass fatented July Ell, 1934 FICE GUTTING AND SHAVKNG BLADE ATTACH-" MENTFOR SURGEONS FORCEPS' i Walter L. Nicholls, Woodward, Ala. .Application December 2', 1931, Serial No.'78,490

'5 Claims. (01. -9)

My invention relates to an improved type of cutting or shaving bladedesigned forsurgical use and adapted to be gripped and held by any ordinary surgeons hemostatic forceps,lthereby to" produce an interchangeable surgeons knifei'and razor with aforceps handle;

I have conceived that it will be ot-material importance and advantage to the surgical profession if inexpensive cutting and shaving blades can be provided which can be so clamped andinterlocked standard hemostatic forceps as to provide a cutting and shaving implement suitable for all customary surgical uses. I thus dispense with the necessity of providing or keeping any special handles and; inasmuch as have so designed my improved type of blade that it can readily be'utilized with any standard hemostatic forceps to form a"cheap,jsanitary and highly desirable adjunct to a surgeons instrument the term standard hemostatic forceps, I mean any of the forceps which are or-- dinarily used in performing surgical operations,

and which are typified by those illustrated in the drawing. forming a part of this application."

' My invention contemplates utilizing a blade having a suitable shape for the contemplated duties and provided with means by which it will interlock with and be firmly grasped between the forceps jaws. The blades are preferably proforceps, two or more of which will co-operate with any hemostatic forceps. These interlocking elements comprise a top flange near the proximal end of the blade, a hole near the distal end of the blade, and a head or shoulder, preferably rolled in the blade and extending lengthwise thereof in such spaced relation to the flange as to provide a seat between same to receive snugly a jaw of the forceps. If the forceps be of the toothed type through the distal hole in the blade. Thus, the blade can be firmly and positively interlocked with the forceps as a handle and the resulting instrument possesses marked advantages due not only to the readiness with which blades can be mounted and interchanged therein, but also because the wide forceps handle, lying in a plane normal to the blade, will rest firmly against the palm of the hand to hold the blade against turning or slipping.

A further advantage derived from the combination of the blade and forceps lies in the fact that the forceps jaws will grip the thin blade between them so as to reinforce it lengthwise thereof and stiffen it.

Furthermore, the handle end of the forceps will hold the blade in upright position when it is laid down and will thus tend to protect the edge.

lVIy invention further comprises the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts, which'in their preferred embodiment only are illustrated in the "accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, and in which:- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a conventional hemostatic' forceps showing my improved type of blade grasped'between its jaws.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmental plan View of a toothed forceps in open position ready to receive the 7 blade.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a typical cutting blade.

Fig. 5 is asimilar rear view of a shaving blade. Similar reference numerals refer to similar. parts throughout the drawing.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated, 5 I show a conventional'type ofhemostatic forceps 10, having 'the' usual handles 11, the snap lock elements 12 and f13yadjacent to the handle, and the jaws l iwhich'have their inner faces coruga e "Myfirnproved type of cutting blade 15 is illus- -trated in a typical form and shape in Fig. 4,

it being understood'that this blade can be produced in various shapes and designs for different uses. These blades will be produced preferably from rolled tool steel very thin and will have a straight top edge or back 16 and an appropriately shaped cutting edge 1'7. On the back near the proximal end of the blade I form an out-turned flange 18 adapted to engage over a. jaw of the forceps as shown in Fig. l and prevent the proximal end of the blade slipping downwardly between the jaws 1%. To prevent the blade slipping upwardly it is rolled or otherwise provided with a bead or shoulder 19, which preferably projects on both sides of the blade and is so spaced from the flange 18 on the back of the blade that a jaw 14 will be snugly received between the elements 18 and 19. The beads 19 will resist any upward slippage of the distal end of the blade.

Obviously these beads or shoulders 19 are ground away to produce the uniform cutting edge 1'7 of the blade and these ribs will also further reinforce and stiffen the blade to its very cutting edge.

In Fig. 5 I show a shaving blade 21 also adapted to be gripped between the jaws 14 and having the beads 19 and two top flanges 18 near its distal and proximal ends.

Where it happens that the toothed type of forceps illustrated in Fig. 3 are available, it is necessary to provide the blade with a suitable perforation 23 near its distal end through which the jaw teeth 22 are free to pass and interlock. This affords a further positive grip. My invention contemplates that blades may be used with this type of forceps without having the bead as I obtain a sufiiciently positive grip by the engagement with the jaw teeth in the hole 23 at the distal end of the blade and the bearing of the flange 18 at the proximal end of the blade on top of the forceps.

It is preferable however to provide the blades with both the flange 18, the bead 19, and the hole 23, thus insuring their universal adaptability for use with all types of hemostatic forceps.

In practice, having manufactured the blades in the various shapes and designs suitable for the surgeons use both for cutting and shaving, the latter are supplied to the trade as blades independently of any special type of handle. Having acquired these blades, the surgeon selects the desired form of blade, inserts it between the jaws of any available hemostatic forceps, and then by clamping the jaws together and locking them by their elements 12 and 13 the blade will be found to be firmly and rigidly held in position and a very conveni nt handle provided which can be readily grasped and is adapted to firmly brace itself against the surgeons hand. With the least ossible effort the blades may be interchanged and a variety thus used with any conveniently available forceps.

The elements on the blade which interlock with the forceps will insure the blade against slippage additional to the binding action of the corrugated jaws i l against the sides of the relatively thin blades. While the bead may be replaced by an equivalent lower interlocking element the latter is preferable in that it provides stock to stiffen the blade when it needs reinforcement most, and yet this stock can be readily ground away where it projects into the zone of the edge that is ground on the blade.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing for the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isz- 1. An interchangeable surgical cutting blade adapted to be used with ordinary hemostatic forceps as a handle, the blade having a body portion adapted to' be grasped between the forceps jaws and having interlocking means coacting with said jaws to hold the grasped blade against slippage, said means comprising at the proximal end of the blade a lateral flange turned to overlap a jaw of the forceps, and a longitudinal bead adapted to engage under said jaw.

2. An interchangeable surgical cutting blade adapted to be used with ordinary hemostatic forceps as a handle, the blade having a body portion adapted to be grasped between the forceps jaws and having interlocking means coacting with said jaws to hold the grasped blade against slippage, said means comprising at the proximal end of the blade a lateral flange turned to overlap a jaw of the forceps, and a longitudinal bead adapted to engage the underside of said jaw, in combination with a hole adjacent to the distal end of the blade, as and for the purposes described.

3. A surgeons cuttingblade of thin steel, comprising at its proximal end a top flange, at its distal end a hole, and lengthwise of the blade below said hole a bead spaced from said flange sumciently to receive the jaw of an ordinary hemostatic forceps snugly between them.

4. A blade for surgical use formed of strip steel having a longitudinal reinforcing bead approximately parallel with its back, and flanges near the proximal and distal ends of the back, there being a hole provided near the distal end of the blade to receive the teeth of a toothed forceps, a jaw of a forceps being adapted to seat between the flange and bead, as and for the purposes described.

5. A surgeons operating knife of the character described comprising, in combination, an interchangeable cutting blade and a standard hemostatic forceps as a handle, the blade having means thereon for interlocking it with the unmodified jaw elements of any such standard forceps to hold it firmly in position in its handle.

WALTER L. NICHOLLS. 

